Rebrand as Chris Ho

Week 61 – May 16, 2021 – My Name

Gah. I may have mentioned before in a previous blog that I hate my name. My first name is “Alice” and my given name is “Christine.” Honestly, what a pain. Don’t do that to your children. That was a small PSA to those who are at the midst of naming their children. This matters. It sticks with them for life. Well, I guess I could change my name, but what a pain. Such a hassle for those few moments at the doctor’s office and the call you by your first name. Ugh. I have to listen carefully or else I’d be sitting in the waiting room for a very long time. Not good.

Then you have other identity issues like being my brother’s twin or my sister’s sister. Always an association. Who am I? Ive mentioned in many previous blogs that I’ve spent list of my life trying to be like my older siblings and trying to be “equal.” My mom knew better and never told me about it. I realized she treated us differently soon after she passed away and we’d compare notes.

I think my strongest sense of identity happened in my 20’s and a bit of my 30’s when I branded myself as “Chris Ho.” My friend reminded me of this the other day. The name sounded so familiar and comforting. It wasn’t “Christine Ho” or “Alice Ho,” but CHRIS HO. The name resonates with me. It signals my independence and authenticity. I loved hearing my friend call me “Chris Ho,” a name that represented who I was.

Of course, I “rebranded” when I got married to “Christine Younghusband” and more recently I’ve rebranded to “Dr. Christine Ho Younghusband” since reviving my doctorate at working at the university. I can see how my name easily flips into the latter. I’ve “Christine Younghusband” for about 20-years. Change is hard.

I don’t know if I ever go back to “Chris Ho” as my name again, but I sure like the sounds of it. It resonates with me as a person. It definitely resonates with my friend who’s now calling me “Chris Ho.” It makes me smile. It’s things like your name that can impact your identity and how you perceive yourself. I was uncertain for awhile whether to call myself “Dr. Christine Ho Younghusband.” With life’s events, it became clear to me that this is my name, for now. It represents who I am and tells my story.

Don’t even ask me about my Chinese name. That’s another story. I will continue to wrestle with my name. Even though they still call me “Alice Younghusband” at the doctor’s office, my name might change again in 20-25 years… Who knows. 🙂